Defenders
by AndiKaneUnderwood
Summary: You don't mess with the Zombies. The Defenders will come for you.


Defenders

By: AndiKaneUnderwood

 **Dedicated to a good friend of mine for listening to my geek outs and being my Beta reader.**

Bucky felt like an A class idiot.

He should've known that the new boy, Kevin Tex, was a zombie hater.

His eyes would darken any time Zed and his friends came close.

The animosity in his voice when he spoke to the Zombies was scary.

He tensed when Zed, Eliza, or Bonzo spoke.

In the couple of months he'd been at Seabrook, the hatred he'd displayed made even the Aceys stay away.

"Dude," Kevin began, "why do you hang out with Zombies? Don't they drop flesh and body parts everywhere?"

"No, and they don't look dead," Bucky replied. "They just look like tired, sleep deprived teenagers."

"If that's what they look like fully rested, I don't know want to know what they look like tired." Kevin chuckled darkly.

"I don't think they're ever fully rested. I've seen Eliza fall asleep during halftime shows and Zed's been known to sleep through chemical explosions." Bucky laughed.

Kevin didn't reply, but his eyes turned from indifferent to furious when Zed came over.

Zed moved a little slower than usual and Bucky had a feeling he knew why. Bucky looked back, but didn't see Zed's two friends.

"Where are Eliza and Bonzo, Zed?" Bucky asked as Zed sat down.

Zed looked confused, wondering what Bucky was talking about, then clarity reached his eyes and he smiled. "I'm sorry. I forget you haven't come to school with us since forever. It's Zombie Sleep-In Day."

Bucky cocked his head. "It's what?"

"Zombie Sleep-In Day. It's a day that happens once a month where Zombies sleep until they can't anymore." Zed replied.

"Is that why I didn't see Zoey?"

"Yeah!" Zed nodded with a broad smile, happy his new friend was understanding.

"Why aren't you with them?" Kevin asked harshly.

Zed didn't blink at the harsh tone, likely used to it after being cut down for the past 14 years.

"I like coming to school. I don't mind missing out on the sleep, and Dad said it was alright." Zed smiled nervously. "Plus I can sleep when I get back home."

Kevin's eyes narrowed and he took his tray and leaned in to whisper. "I'll see you on the field." Then he was gone just as quick as his change in mood.

Bucky watched as Kevin left, a frown on his face as he wondered. Then his thoughts where interrupted as Zed tugged his sleeve. "Addy didn't meet me by the boarder like she usually does. Is she sick?" The Zombie asked.

Bucky forgot all about Kevin and his animosity as he smiled and answered his friend's question.

 _Z-O-M-B-I-E-S~Z-O-M-B-I-E-S~Z-O-M-B-I-E-S_

The next week, Bucky went to meet the gang at the barrier.

Kevin joined them, but Bree mentioned something about going on for music thing Bucky hadn't caught the name of.

"Eliza!" Addison smiled, rushing forward and hugging the girl.

"Hey Addy!" Eliza caught the overexcited cheerleader with ease.

The cheerleader pulled back, looking around. "Where's Zed?" She asked.

Bonzo said something in Zombie-Tongue that Bucky didn't understand and pointed to the youngest Zombie's house.

Addison gasped. "Can Zombies get sick?" She asked.

Eliza nodded. "Oh yeah, this happens at least once a year. Zed's had a bad immune system since he was little."

"Za." Bonzo agreed.

"And he's going to school like that?" Bucky questioned.

Eliza shrugged. "We can't stop him and though he usually does as Zoey asks, no amount of begging seems to keep him home. He'll be fine and we'll get him home if he isn't."

Bucky felt Kevin tense behind him as Zed came up looking pale and greener than was normal. "Hey guys!" He grinned, waving.

"You sure you should be going to school, Zed?" Bucky asked. "You look awful."

"I'll be alright. Thank you for your concern." Zed laughed, ducking away from Addison's outstretched hand. "Really, Addy, I'm alright."

Bucky decided that if he couldn't make Zed stay home (and he knew he couldn't) then he'd at least keep an eye on the young Zombie and be there for him if he couldn't make it through the day.

School went alright, Bucky had a few classes with each of his Zombie friends.

Lunch was amazing, watching Bonzo's apple tricks capture Zed's full attention.

It was funny, the Zombies where almost like cats in a way.

Their attention was almost always on a moving thing, especially when the object was bigger, like an apple or a pencil.

He began to wonder if Zed was really okay after lunch when the Zombie ate nothing.

He also began to wonder why Kevin was increasingly happy as Zed got paler and greener as the day began.

Eliza caught on and she and Bonzo agreed to backing up Bucky when the cheer captain confronted the new kid.

So, on his next class with the three Zombies (and Kevin coincidentally), he stopped Kevin in the hallway.

"Hey, Kevin! I was just talking about you." Bucky laughed, gesturing to Bonzo and Eliza who stood behind him. "I was just wondering why you look so happy because Zed was sick."

Kevin shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about." He denied.

Bucky's smile dropped faster than anyone had ever seen. "See, I think you do. You don't like Zed. You don't like any of the Zombies. You talk to them harshly, you put them down. Not to their faces, but to the others in the school. I know you don't like Zombies, so cut the act." Bucky snapped. "What did you do to Zed?"

Kevin sighed. "Alright. You got me." He smirked. "Now about what I did." He chuckled. "Well, I wanted to experiment. What happens when raw meat is introduced to an immune system that hasn't processed anything but meat substitutes for 14 years."

Bonzo snarled, pushing past Bucky. He grabbed Kevin by the neck and slammed him into the lockers.

Eliza growled. "Do you know what that does to a Human?" She screeched in outrage. "It's twenty times worse for a Zombie! How dare you?"

Kevin coughed, then choked out a laugh. "Maybe he shouldn't be here in the first place."

Bucky's eyes narrowed. "He has every right to be here. All Zombies do. Maybe you're the one who doesn't belong."

Bonzo grunted something in Zombie-Tongue that sounded like a promised threat.

Kevin summoned what little breath he had left and spat in Bonzo's face.

Eliza bared her teeth and started forward, but a hand on her arm stopped her. Bucky stepped forward instead as Bonzo wiped the saliva from his face.

Kevin was legitimately choking now and it didn't seem that Bonzo wanted to let him down.

"Let him go, Bonzo." Bucky said.

Bonzo grunted. "Zo." Then said something that was all too clear for Bucky to get.

"If you hurt him, you only prove his view on Zombies right. Let him go and let him see that we're better than that." Bucky replied.

Eliza tugged on Bucky's sleeve and whispered in his ear.

Bucky nodded and put a hand on Bonzo's shoulder. "You can't help Zed if you're in Zombie Containment for killing him."

Bonzo growled, then dropped Kevin and snarled in Zombie-Tongue.

Kevin coughed and groaned as air returned to his lungs.

Eliza stared down at the Human with disgust. "That goes double for me. You hurt another Zombie and we won't hesitate to show you why Zombies are so dangerous."

Kevin scrambled to his feet and stumbled off. Hopefully not to return.

"Uh, guys?" Asked a voice from behind the three.

The three whipped around to find Zed behind them.

Zed looked much worse than he had at lunch. There was practically no color in his face and he was actually sweating. There was a high blush painted on his face that looked to be part of his sickness and part embarrassment.

"Zed!" Eliza yelped, hand going to her mouth.

Bonzo grunted in Zombie-Tongue and came forward to steady the swaying boy.

Zed looked at the three of them. "You didn't have to do that." He protested and Bucky slid up on Zed's other side.

"Yes we did. We're your friends." Eliza replied.

Zed smiled weakly. "Thanks."

Bucky chuckled. "You're welcome. Now let's get you to the nurse." He and Bonzo started helping Zed walk while Eliza popped in to tell the teacher.

The incident spread around school quickly and people quickly learned not to mess with the Zombies of the school.

The defenders would come for you.

 **I think if I do anymore of these, it won't be in a one-shot book this time.**


End file.
